Annapolis Valley terroir

Getting to know Nova Scotia’s wine region

Story and photography by Darcy Rhyno

L’Acadie Blanc is an amazing grape because it’s a “chameleon,” according to Beatrice Stutz, CEO and manager at Domaine de Grand Pré, one of Nova Scotia’s oldest and most respected wineries.

“It’s hardy for the Nova Scotia climate, and it’s got such good acidity that it’s a beautiful food wine,” she says. “It’s also used widely in Tidal Bay.”

Nova Scotia’s signature appellation wine, Tidal Bay, is made entirely with locally grown grapes. Wineries start with l’Acadie

Blanc to create the blend, which needs the approval of a panel of judges to earn the label. The idea is to capture Nova Scotia’s terroir in every bottle of Tidal Bay, a wine that’s meant to be “fresh, crisp, dryish, still, white with a bright, ‘signature Nova Scotia’ aromatic component.”

“It’s Nova Scotia’s grape,” says Stutz. We’re sitting around the dining room table of Hanspeter Stutz, Beatrice’s father and a pioneer winemaker. His heritage house in the Annapolis Valley was built in 1828 and is set amidst his vineyards. It’s now a six-suite inn that offers unique and intimate chef’s table dining experiences.

I’m privileged to be sitting at the family table this evening. As courses come and go, Stutz invites us to visit the kitchen where each is plated with artistry and care. After plating the next course, grated parsnip purée with l’Acadie vinegrette and pickled red onion, Chef Jason Lynch and sous chef Dana Wood serve it in the dining room.

Stutz completes her introduction of the paired wine, Grand Pré’s 2021 version of Tidal Bay. “This particular vintage won an All-Canadian Wine Championship gold medal this year. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do.”

The l’Acadie Blanc pairs perfectly with the velvety purée. We savour the flavours and compliment the wine, which prompts Stutz to add another observation about Nova Scotia’s grape: “It’s also used in traditional winemaking methods.”

She’s talking about the relatively recent discovery that the grape and the Annapolis Valley’s climate and soil conditions are made for each other, creating just the right conditions for the creation of excellent méthode classique sparkling wines.

Earlier, the chef’s table dinner started with what Stutz calls “oysters and bubbles” — local oysters on the half shell, washed down with one of those bright Nova Scotian sparkling wines. As the term suggests, these wines are as close to handmade as it’s possible to get.

On a recent visit to another Annapolis Valley winemaker, l’Acadie Vineyards, owner Bruce Ewert showed me how he hand turns his sparkling wines over a three-week period to settle the yeast in the neck, where workers can remove it before corking. Ewert moved from British Columbia, where he learned winemaking, because he understood Nova Scotia’s potential as a sparkling-wine region on par with Champagne, France.

Bruce Ewert, owner and winemaker at l’Acadie Wineries, with Alanna McIntyre, sommelier at Bishop’s Cellar.

Photo: Darcy Rhyno

Ewert drilled a test well when he arrived and discovered an ancient, rocky seabed, which he says gives Nova Scotian wine its signature minerality. To further link his wines to the place they’re made, his grapes are organically grown, which he says shows off his wines’ terroir.

“When you have these mineral flavours, you can age wine longer with a lot of yeast contact,” says Ewert, which achieves what he calls a “harmony” in the wine. That contact is called “sitting on the lees,” and it gives his wines a pleasant toastiness that rounds out their crisp acidity and light fruitiness.

Enjoying wine at Benjamin Bridge.

Photo: Darcy Rhyno

At Benjamin Bridge, head winemaker Jean-Benoit Deslauriers employs similar organic viticulture techniques and traditional winemaking methods to create what might be Nova Scotia’s best traditional sparkling wines. Like l’Acadie Vineyards, Benjamin Bridge is located in the narrow Gaspereau Valley, which follows the river of the same name within the Annapolis Valley. Both winemakers say this smaller valley adds another, vitally important element to their wines.

The influence of the sea permeates everything in Nova Scotia, right down to a glass of fine wine. That’s no surprise in a place where you’re never further than 60 kilometres from the Atlantic Ocean. It’s the climate-moderating influences of the Bay of Fundy that make l’Acadie Blanc and similar grapes perfectly suited to the Annapolis Valley’s growing conditions. Other local wineries like Luckett Vineyards, Lightfoot and Wolfville, Gaspereau, and Avondale Sky also take advantage of their proximity to the sea to make great wines.

In summer, cooling breezes pushed by the bay and its extreme tides blow through the Annapolis Valley, then along the much smaller Gaspereau Valley. These breezes cool the vineyards in summer, extend the growing season into the fall and moderate temperatures through the winter. Together with the soil, organic growing conditions and special winemaking techniques, the influence of the Bay of Fundy results in a signature Annapolis Valley terroir — perhaps a terroir of the ocean?

To complete our dining experience at Grand Pré, servers bring two desserts, one in a dish and the other in a glass. First, Lynch presents a pair of puffy profiteroles flavoured with chestnut and caramel and served with a chocolate sauce. Some joke about fighting the urge to lick their plates, then lose the battle. Finally, we’re offered a splash of Pomme d’Or Apple Cream Liquor, a sipping liqueur reminiscent of apple pie and ice cream.

Kyla Welton leading the Estate Tasting Experience at Benjamin Bridge.

Photo: Darcy Rhyno

Can’t-miss local wines

Here are 15 Annapolis Valley wines, highly recommended by Alanna McIntyre, a sommelier with Bishop’s Cellar in Halifax. All are usually available year-round.

Blomidon Cremant NV

Benjamin Bridge Brut

Lightfoot & Wolfville Bubbly Rosé NV

L’Acadie Vineyards Joie de Vivre NV

Benjamin Bridge Nova 7

Grand Pre Tidal Bay

Avondale Sky Tidal Bay

Planter’s Ridge Tidal Bay

Gaspereau Riesling

Lightfoot & Wolfville

Ancienne Chardonnay

Mercator Compass Rose

Luckett Rosetta

Lightfoot & Wolfville Gamay Noir

Luckett Phone Box Red

Blomidon Baco Noir

Grapes ripening at l’Acadie Vineyards;

Photo: Darcy Rhyno